BARRIO – President Nayib Bukele laid the foundation stone yesterday for the construction of the new Rosales and Nejapa hospitals, projects that will enhance healthcare services for the Salvadoran population in the public health system.

The investment in the Rosales Hospital amounts to $61.2 million, which will be funded by the Salvadoran government’s own resources for construction and equipment. On the other hand, the funding for the Nejapa Hospital comes from a $50 million loan from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), as stated by the President. Both projects combined represent a total investment of $111 million.

The construction project for the Rosales Hospital is expected to be completed within 18 months and will be overseen by the National Directorate of Municipal Works (DOM), an institution established in 2021 to develop infrastructure projects for the benefit of the population.

According to the President, “the Rosales Hospital will be the first in the country to receive EDGE certification and will be built using materials that will help save at least 20% of energy and 20% of water. The (old) Rosales Hospital was inaugurated in 1902, and it took more than 100 years for someone to come and rebuild it.”

President Bukele emphasized that the construction of this new medical center in San Salvador was a promise he made during his presidential campaign, a project also outlined in his Government Plan, called Plan Cuscatlбn.

The new Rosales Hospital will have 87 consultation rooms to provide care for various conditions, as well as a coagulation clinic, phototherapy room, hemato-oncology unit, palliative care, prosthetic laboratory, and other services.

The Nejapa Hospital will feature a warm birthing unit, a lactation counseling area, a space for prenatal education sessions, a maternal stay for mothers who cannot return home while awaiting labor, and a breastfeeding room.

During the inauguration ceremony, the President reminded everyone that public health was one of the neglected areas by the administrations of ARENA and FMLN, which governed the country for 30 years. Some members of these parties wasted no time in criticizing the announcement of the projects.

President Bukele highlighted that his administration had to face the COVID-19 pandemic and, during that time, managed to construct and rehabilitate hospitals in the public health network for the benefit of Salvadorans.

The laying of the foundation stone for the Rosales Hospital was attended by the New Ideas party deputies who are part of the Health Committee of the Legislative Assembly. The President of the Legislative Assembly, Ernesto Castro, also attended the event and expressed regret that previous ARENA and FMLN governments neglected the public health system. 

Minister of Local Development, Marнa Ofelia Navarrete, was also present.

With these new hospitals, President Bukele aims to fulfill his commitment to improving healthcare infrastructure and services in El Salvador, providing Salvadorans with modern medical facilities equipped to meet their healthcare needs effectively.